A health advocate refraining from whole wheat may sound like an oxymoron. And other than whole wheat, the list of forbidden foods include nuts, dairy, soy and eggs. Other than fruits and vegetables, I think I've blocked out every item a nutritionist would include in a healthy diet aye?
Guesses aside, welcome to my world. Sad but true, my overly reactive immune system triggers allergic reactions which manifests itself in the form of an itch [one damn irritating bugger] whenever I consume these foods. Never underestimate the power of a simple itch though, for anyone who has been through a bout of itch-scratch cycle can testify to the unforgiving cycles of inflammation and scratching.
My poison? Eczema. A common skin ailment which a good majority of people suffer from in some way or another. Sadly, doctors and researchers have yet to find a cure for it and one of the most widely used solution is still the usage of steroid creams and anti-histamines, both of which suppresses your immune system.
One alternative way to cure this problem, as I found out, is to cut out any or all allergens which my body will react to and though its hard, let's just say that an itch-free lifestyle is a better way to go. Every time an offending food item sneaks into my thoughts, it's met by a firm wall of determination or if that wall breaks, it's more than often met with a firm "NO!" from Qin [sigh, so now a man can't even have his cake and eat it]. So imagine my delight when I stumbled upon this huge shelf of organic, allergen-free foodstuff at Marketplace yesterday. I was like a kid who stumbled into Toyland!
Aah, I can finally feel the joy of grocery shopping again. Wheat free, gluten free, dairy free, nut free, they've really got every allergen free item under their belt. In a matter of minutes, I snapped up three [not less than fantastic] items; muesli, chocolate spread and a banana-flavoured snack bar. Dude, can you imagine dairy and nut free chocolate spread?! It's like finding calorie-free cakes man!
The muesli comprises of "corn" flakes which are made with maize and rice flour, rice puff, rice bran, coconut, and dried fruits. It's really awesome and has that full bodied taste from the coconut. I had a bowl of it with rice milk (sorry, can't take
real milk remember?) today morning and it was gooooood. Plus, I was getting sick of only eating fruits every morning. ps: It really keeps me full. I lasted for 4 hours without feeling hungry.
The chocolate spread is almost like Nutella but with a much subtler shade of hazelnut. Man, it's so good I lick it off the spoon every morning. Having 60% lesser sugar definitely helps too [on the guilt part].
I haven't gotten down to prying the banana bar open and chomping on it like a chimpanzee yet. But judging from the looks of it, you bet I'm gonna enjoy it.
Why did I write this post? I have no idea. To share my joy, perhaps. Or to share this information with people who needs it as much as me. Rejoice!
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